Theater production to benefit Keyser man

Monday

Nov 19, 2018 at 7:38 PMNov 19, 2018 at 7:40 PM

RAWLINGS -- Local theater group Acting Out for ALS will present its fall 2018 musical, “Annie,” on Friday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. at Mountain Ridge High School in Frostburg.

RAWLINGS -- Local theater group Acting Out for ALS will present its fall 2018 musical, “Annie,” on Friday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. at Mountain Ridge High School in Frostburg. All proceeds raised from the box office and raffle sales will be donated to the support of a local man, Tim Newlin of Keyser, who has recently begun his battle against Lou Gehrig's Disease. The creative team includes director Mark Ashby, music director LeaAnn Alter, choreographers Taryn Casebolt and Jill Keith, stage manager Jennifer Ashby, and production assistants Amy Moyer and Tammy Alter.A classic story set in 1933 in the depths of the Great Depression, “Annie” follows the life of the 11-year-old title character (played by MaKenna Keith), whose parents left their infant at an orphanage run by Miss Hannigan (Luann Lancaster), a mean-spirited woman who works the girls in her charge little better than slaves. However, the richest man in New York City, Oliver Warbucks (Stephen Gumtz), has decided to host an orphan at his mansion over Christmas. Warbucks' assistant Grace Farrell (Emily Snyder) chooses Annie and introduces her to a lavish lifestyle. Soon the billionaire is won over by Annie's charm and wants to adopt her, but Annie tells him she believes her real parents will return for her, leading Warbucks to launch an expensive nationwide search for them. Hearing of the $50,000 reward offered to anyone who can provide proof, Hannigan, her shifty brother Rooster (Clayton Muir), and his dim-witted girlfriend Lily (Breanna Brown) plot a scheme to pose as Annie's parents to get the money. With well-known songs like "Hard Knock Life," "Easy Street," and "Tomorrow," this show is a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit while supporting a worthy cause.Tim Newlin was diagnosed with ALS in May of 2017, just a few months after he had retired. Tim's wife Ginny was his primary caregiver. She unexpectedly passed away in September, and Tim now receives around-the-clock care from in-home nursing. The funds raised from this show will be used to defray some of the costs associated with this care.Since its first show in 2014, Acting Out for ALS has raised over $45,000 for ALS warriors in the mid-Atlantic region and specifically in the western Maryland area. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a degenerative neuromuscular condition for which there currently is no cure. Every 90 minutes someone somewhere is diagnosed with ALS, and costs for care can reach $200,000 per year.

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